Age And Gender Affect Chances of Quitting Smoking

A study has found that place where you live, your age and whether you're male or female all affect your chances of giving up Smoking.

The study, commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and undertaken by the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, reviewed published studies from between 1990 and 2007 to establish success rates for the NHS smoking cessation services.

It found that older smokers are more likely than young smokers to successfully quit, some men appear to be more successful at quitting than women despite the fact that more women attend the smoking cessation services, and more disadvantaged groups face greater challenges when giving up smoking.

The findings support other international research that also suggested that while women are highly motivated to quit smoking, men may be more likely to succeed when they access services to help them stop.

Several factors seem to explain the lower success rates of women, such as less confidence in quitting, the inter-relationship between gender and deprivation and differences in the meaning and role of tobacco in men and women's lives.

Indian Version of X-Factor Made Debut On Sony TV

The Indian version of the singing reality show X-Factor made its debut in India on This Sunday On 29-05-2011 - on Sony Entertainment Television.

The show will be judged by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghosal. Bhansali had earlier judged season 1 of the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa.

This is going to be the biggest show till date on Indian television with respect to talent, size and scale.

Sony will be spending a whopping amount of Rs 70-80 million for the promotion of the reality show.

Along with X-Factor, Sony Entertainment Television will soon be launching a couple of new programs like Bade Acche Lagte Hain, which is a non-fiction, Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon - A Romantic Drama, Master Chef India 2 - A Cookery Show and Reality Show - Survivor India.

Salman Khan To Help Bollywood Workers By Sharing His Income

Bollywood star Salman Khan is planning to share his income with Bollywood workers. He stated that he wants to contribute a certain % of his earnings from his films to the workers in the industry.

The amount has not yet been finalised but it is likely to be 1% or half of his remuneration. He will take action after strategizing his initiative.

He also stated that he will sit with the leaders of the film workers association and enquire as to where the maximum sum of money is necessary.


Based on this the money will go there. While promoting a film, Salman will combine work with social work by giving some money and time to the under-Privileged people.

He has not yet started publicizing his upcoming film Ready but he will make sure that there are about 15-20 places where he can pay a visit and help people under his NGO - Being Human and return back.

He has decided to save a certain part of money from the Promotional budget to help his charity.

Salman concluded by stating that instead of utilizing the money on promotions, PRs and other related matters, the money should be given to the country.

Income Tax Dep. To Publish For Expose Names of Tax Defaulters

Tax defaulters beware! With tax recovery to the tune of more than Rs one lakh crore held up for lack of information about the whereabouts of defaulters, the Income Tax department is working on plans to publish their names in newspapers.

The problem has been further compounded with several of the tax defaulters having created 'benami' assets to escape the dragnet.

The I-T department is embarking on this "Out of box solution" of bringing the names of tax defaulters in public domain in a bid to expose them.

The department, according to the official proposal, will publish in newspapers the names of those defaulting assesses who are either not traceable or whose assets are not identifiable.

Informants, in such cases, will also be given incentives which may include cash rewards, the proposal said.

The assests, according to I-T sources, are not identifiable as either they are being created and invested under 'benami' heads or are not ascribed directly to the defaulting taxpayer, and are on the name of their extended family members or friends.

According to the latest data of the I-T department, out of a total outstanding arrear demand of Rs 2,29,032 crore - till March 2010, an amount of Rs 9,476 crore is unrealised or held up as the assessee is "not traceable" while Rs 92,360 crore is stuck as there are "no assets".

The proposal, termed "Out of Box solution for discovery of assets", was recently discussed by the top brass of the department during the recently held IT Chief Commissioners and Directors General conference held here.

The annual conference, inaugurated by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, was attended by the top brass of the investigation, intelligence, recovery and other enforcement wings of the I-T department.

Important deliberations, including this issue, discussed during the conference are subsequently taken forward and implemented as policy issues by the I-T department.

The department is also planning to give wide publicity to its scheme of tapping and encouraging "informants" to unearth tax evasion and gain tip-off on the whereabouts of absconders who have evaded huge taxes.

Tata Motors Launches Nano In Sri Lanka

Tata Motors today launched its small car Nano in Sri Lanka and plans to market the ultra-cheap car in other countries also.

Sri Lanka is the first country where the company has launched its product, apart from India, and there are plans to market the car in other countries too, the company said in a statement.

"We have already formulated plans for its introduction in several countries, to be implemented over the next few years," Tata Motors managing director PM Telang said.

The company is also introducing five new commercial vehicles in Sri Lanka, Tata Divo, Tata Marcopolo, Tata Prima, Tata Truck and Tata Super Ace.

"Tata Motors has already established a firm footprint in international markets. We will now scale up on this foundation, judiciously choosing appropriate geographies and addressing unmet consumer needs with our portfolio.


The Tata Nano will play a major role in the next phase of growth of our international business," Group CEO of Tata Motors managing director Carl-Peter Forster said.

The introduction of the Tata Nano in international markets coincides with the Golden Jubilee of Tata Motors' international business whichbegan with Sri Lanka in 1961 in association with Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC, the company's distributor, it said.

In 2010-11, the company exported 58,044 vehicles to over 40 countries including South Asia, South East Asia, West Asia, Africa, Europe and South America.

Delhi Belly Happened By Accident- Aamir Khan

Actor turned producer Aamir Khan is of the view that his upcoming production Delhi Belly starring his nephew Imran Khan will destroy his good will which he had earned from his family oriented films in the past decades.

He posted a blog stating that his production house is popular for its clean, inspiring, family entertainment. But all this is soon going to change with Delhi Belly.

Aamir Khan stated that the film just happened by accident and that it has the potential to destroy all his good will that he had earned in just one single stroke.

The film is slated to hit theatres on 1st July and it stars Imran Khan, Vir Das and Kunal Roy Kapur in pivotal roles.

Chennai Super Kings Eye On Second IPL Title

Defending Champions - Chennai Super Kings will be banking on home advantage when they take on a formidable Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League final on Saturday.

Chennai, led by India's World Cup Winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, have won all of their seven league games at home this season and have lost just once in 12 matches over two editions.

Conditions at the Chidambaram stadium suit Chennai perfectly, leading to speculation that the low and slow wicket has been specially prepared for the home side. The Chennai franchise is owned by N Srinivasan, secretary and president-elect of the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI), which owns and runs the IPL.

"What we have picked is a side for these conditions, and we are very proud that we were smart enough to pick a side that would compete well at home," said the former New Zealand captain.

"We certainly don't take our home advantage for granted. We are going to have to work equally as hard because the team we will play in the final know they have got to play well to beat us at home.

"We have played some good cricket here. So if you wanted to play the final, it'd certainly be here for us." For Chennai, the biggest threat comes from Chris Gayle, the West Indies opener who has been on a roll ever since being snapped up by Bangalore as a replacement for the injured Dirk Nannes.

The muscular left-hander has scored 608 runs from just 11 innings to emerge as the highest run-getter in the Twenty20 competition ahead of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar, the Mumbai Indians skipper, was all praise for Gayle who slaughtered his bowlers during a whirlwind 89-runs knock off just 47 balls on Friday to carry Bangalore into the final.

"All credit to Gayle for the way he batted," Tendulkar said after Mumbai crashed to a 43-run defeat to Bangalore to bow out of the tournament. "The way Gayle started, that set the tone for them."

Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori hoped Gayle would repeat his magic once again and help the side bag their maiden IPL title after ending up as losing finalists in the 2009 edition.

"It's certainly not easy to bowl to Gayle, he has been a great asset for us," said the Kiwi left-arm spinner. "Conditions are going to suit the Chennai Super Kings in the final but we are up for it."

Movie Review of Shagird

Director : Tigmanshu Dhulia

Music : Abhishek Ray

Starring : Nana Pateker, Mohit Ahlawat, Rimi Sen, Zakir Husain and Anurag Kashyap

It seems cop films are in vogue in Bollywood. If it was DABANGG last year, this year it's DUM MAARO DUM and now SHAGIRD. The film is a comeback of Tigmanshu Dhulia, whose last film, CHARAS released way back in 2004.

After AB TAK CHHAPPAN in 2004; Nana Patekar plays a cop yet again in SHAGIRD. He essays the role of an eccentric crime branch COP, Hanumant Singh. He is like the imdb of old Hindi songs and loathes the modern ones. He doesn't mind accepting bribes and sharing the money with his team.

However, he has a tough time mentoring young officer Mohit, who's the latest addition in his team. Hanumant and local gangster Bunty Bhaiya are chamchas of fraudulent politician Rajmani Singh (Zakir Hussain), who can do anything for power.

The plot involves the dirty games played by these characters to satisfy their greedy souls. Just like Hanumant Singh's character, the film tries too hard to be "Cool".

In spite of having copious twists and turns, it fails to hold your attention. A thriller needs to be tight, but the screenplay lags on many occasions. The perpetual killing spree of Hanumant Singh and his men, becomes too much to grasp.

On the other hand, there are some witty and comic Dialogues which provide the intermittent relief. When Mohit says that he loves Cricket, Hanumat retorts, "Cricket to alu hai, sabhi khate hain". The encounter sequences in the first half are nicely done.

Movie Review of Pyaar Ka Punchnama

Director : Luv Ranjan 

Music : Clinton Cerejo, Hitesh Sonik, Luv Ranjan and Ad Boys

Lyrics : Luv Ranjan

Starring : Kartikeya Tiwari, Rayo Bhakhirta, Divyendu Sharma, Sonalli Sehgal and Nushrat Bharucha

It seems anti-rom-coms are taking Bollywood by storm. LUV KA THE END released a few days back and this week it's PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA. We're sure it's tag line - Come...fall out of love, won't make Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar and the likes very happy.

First things first. The promos of PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA gave the impression that it's a sex comedy. But it isn't. It's about relationships. While watching the film, one is also reminded of Madhur Bhandarkar's DIL TOH BACCHA HAI JI, which released early this year.

The film traces the life of three friends - Rajat, Vikrant and Nishant aka Liquid, who are desperate to get girl-friends. Their wishes are answered soon.

Rajat meets Neha and soon gets in a live-in relationship with her. Vikrant falls for hottie Riya, who still can't get over her ex-boyfriend. Liquid is smitten by his new manipulative colleague Charu, who uses him to get her office work done.

As time passes, the relationships of all the tree couples starts getting from bad to worse. Will they hold on is what forms the rest of the story. The film is an anti-rom-com and director Luv Ranjan rightly doesn't waste much time in establishing the romance between the characters.

The initial few minutes of the film are fresh and enjoyable. The problem in the film arises when the couples start facing problems in their respective relationships. All the tracks drag to no end. While the first half is still bearable, the second half just goes on and on.

The best part of the second half, infact the entire film, is the 5-minute-long hilarious monologue by Rajat. He perhaps echoes the thoughts of each and every boy who's in a relationship.

Many of the things shown in the film are real are relatable. But they get very monotonous and boring as a viewer. The graph of the film oscillates from being very funny to very clumsy. The film needed to be much shorter, which would have helped it immensely.

The music by Clinton Cerejo, Hitesh Sonik, Luv Ranjan and Ad Boys goes well with the film with Baanware being the best song. Akiv Ali's editing is okay. Sudhir K Chaudhary's cinematography is good. The dialogues are very much in sink with today's lingo.

Kartikeya Tiwari is decent. Vikrant delivers a very restrained performance. Divyendu Sharma is excellent. Among the girls, Nushrat Bharucha is the best. She delivers a confident performance. Sonalli Sehgal looks great but is pretty ordinary when it comes to acting. Ishita Sharma is passable.

PYAAR KA PUNCHNAMA is inconsistent and lacks "Punch".

Movie Review of Kucch Luv Jaisaa

Director : Barnali Ray Shukla

Music : Pritam Chakraborty

Lyrics : Irshad Kamil

Starring : Rahul Bose, Shifaali Shah, Sumeet Raghavan, Manmeet Singh, Kunal Kumar, Amin Hajee and Om Puri

Why would two perfectly good actors want to ruin their reputations by acting in utter tripe? All right, so the lead actress is the Producer's very talented wife who wants to showcase her sexier side. And the lead actor is a good sport. But that is no excuse for this road trip gone bad between an uptown corporate wife and a downtown Hitman.

The movie is so excruciatingly embarrassing that you're forced to look at accessories. Shefali Shah begins with a dumpy bag, then has no bag, then has a Louis Vuitton, then has both. Rahul Bose begins with a canvas bag then has a leather laptop bag and then has nothing at all. Shah gets to wear a pretty lavender wrapover dress which shows her cleavage to great effect. Her hair is bouncy, coloured and very very big.

She can't decide whether to put it up or down, toss it back or just leave it as it is. Bose barely speaks, which is good because when he does it's an indecipherable accent, which is his version of how a Mumbai hitman would speak but just sounds very much like a good Bengali Bhadralok speaking Hindi to the natives.

The movie is all about a bored homemaker "whose problem is that she has no problem"-whatever that means. She has a seemingly perfect life but is dissatisfied possibly because she doesn't get enough sex but this movie is too polite to go all the way.

It could have been an honest examination of a middle class homemaker's coming of age sexually but this movie is too hamfisted for that. It has no confidence to be what it set out to be. It's too concerned about being seen as marketable. So it throws in a shootout, a cheap moll (Neetu Chandra really has to stop playing such roles), and a chase in a red Swift.

A little consumerism, a lot of shopping, some pop psychology and some almost-kisses and the movie is done. Of course everyone ends up happy. The hitman, the homemaker and her single income double kids family.

Everyone except the audience.

Music Review

It's raining (read reigning) rom-com !!! Year 2011 is turning out to be a year of youthful, experimental and romantic comedies that dare to challenge the stereotypes. After producing lavish flicks with a bunch of A-list actors, producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah chooses experimental path and delivers out a bizarre looking rom-com titled "KUCCH LUV JAISAA".

Despite its low profile and almost zilch expectations, the names of Pritam and Irshad Kamil on the credits promise to create a surprise for all listeners. Against all odds, on musical front, there were few big surprises this year and this flick too looks different and special.

Pritam's formidable pairing with Irshad Kamil in the last few years was highly fruitful, delivering out bunch of melodies that turned out to be big chartbusters. Will this be another winner from the prolific looking Musical Team? Just wait, listen and decide...as we introspect into its musical facts !!!

Hollywood Deal For Film Of "Osama Bin Laden" Killing

US film giant Columbia Pictures said on Tuesday it has won the US distribution rights for a film about the killing of Osama bin Laden, to be directed by Oscar-Winning Film-Maker Kathryn Bigelow.

Bigelow and journalist-turned screenwriter Mark Boal, who won Oscars for Iraq bomb squad movie "The Hurt Locker" in 2010, had already been working on a project about the Al-Qaeda chief's capture or killing, before his death on May 2.

Immediately afterwards there were reports they were scrambling to decide what to do with the project, but Tuesday's announcement by Amy Pascal of Columbia's parent company Sony Pictures Entertainment confirmed the plans.

"Bigelow and Boal have been developing the project since 2008 and plan to incorporate recent events into the film," said a statement, adding that the film will focus on "The black ops mission to capture or kill" - Osama Bin Laden.

Boal and Bigelow will produce the as-yet unnamed movie with Annapurna Picture's Megan Ellison, and executive producer Greg Shapiro. Filming will start in late summer, with the film to be released in the last quarter of 2012.

There is a long history of movies based on real events, from "JFK" to "Titanic," or more recently "United 93" about the heroism of passengers who prevented a fourth plane from hitting its mark on 9/11.

Bigelow has built her career via movies notable for their macho characters, whether it's bank-robbing surfers in "Point Break" to adrenaline-addicted bomb squads in "The Hurt Locker."

She became the first woman to win the best director Oscar last year for "The Hurt Locker," a nerve-jangling movie about a US Army bomb disposal squad in Baghdad.

The low-budget drama, based on a screenplay by Boal after he was embedded with a bomb squad in 2004, beat $500 million sci-fi epic "Avatar," directed by her ex-husband James Cameron, at the 2010 Academy Awards.

Movie Review of 404 Error Not Found

Director : Prawaal Raman

Music : Sameeruddin

Lyrics : Imaad Shah and Rachel Varghese

Starring : Rajvvir Aroraa, Imaad Shah, Satish Kaushik, Tisca Chopra and Nishikant Kamat

"404 Error Not Found" is a title aimed at today's Internet Junkies and Youngsters. It's intriguing enough to find out why a film is titled so. It's a smart move by the makers of this psychological thriller. Speaking of psychological thrillers, we haven't seen one in Bollywood since a long time. So it's a welcome change amidst the rom-coms and love stories.


The film is about a Bright Medical Student Abhimanyu, who's brave enough to opt for the supposedly haunted room 404 in his college hostel.

The room was locked since three years, after a first-year student Gaurav committed suicide in it and it was rumoured that his spirit was occupying the room. Professor Aniruddh is mighty impressed by the audacious Abhimanyu and encourages him to stay in the room to put an end to all rumours.

But things take an expected turn when Abhimanyu starts seeing Gaurav's spirit. Is Gaurav's aatma real or is Abhimanyu just hallucinating This is what forms the basic premise of the film. You are involved in the film and are constantly trying to decipher what will happen next. The astute twists in the climax are riveting and take you completely off-guard.

While the first half is taut, the second is a bit stretched and could have done away with a few redundant scenes. There are ample sequences which are laudable like when Abhimanyu and Aniruddh follow Gaurav's spirit or when Aniruddh breaks down.

The background score, though a bit loud at times, adds to the overall impact. Savita Singh's Cinematography is good. Sarvesh Parab's editing could have been tighter in the second half. Nishikant Kamat, who has directed 2 films is a revelation as an Actor. He performs his part also with great composure.

Debutant Rajvvir Aroraa acts brilliantly. He plays his complex character effortlessly. Imaad Shah is wonderful as the nonchalant senior. Tisca Chopra is good. Satish Kaushik acts well and provides the occasional laughs.

"404 Error Not Found" is a mind-boggling psychological thriller with commendable performances. So Don't miss it.

India Reviewing "Most Wanted" Errors As Fugitives

India is reviewing a list of 50 "Most Wanted Fugitives" it says are hiding in Pakistan, a day after one of them was traced to a prison in Mumbai.

Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan, who is accused of involvement in a 2003 train bombing, was arrested last year and is behind bars in the city's Arthur Road jail.

Earlier it turned out that another "fugitive" had already been bailed and was living in Mumbai with his mother.

Correspondents say the mistakes are likely to cost India dear, as well as being hugely embarrassing. They say Islamabad will now be able to raise doubts about other names on the list too. For years Pakistan has denied harbouring militants India says are guilty of attacks on its soil.

Lapses The "most wanted" list was removed from the website of the Central Bureau of Investigation after news of the second mistake emerged.

"We have an inmate called Feroze Khan in the Arthur Road jail," the Times of India newspaper quoted the inspector general of prisons, Surendra Kumar, as saying.

Mr Khan's lawyer Farzana Shah told the BBC that he had been arrested on 5 February last year and had been in jail since then. In a statement, the CBI said "a preliminary inquiry has revealed a lapse regarding inclusion of Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan in the list".

Doubts were raised on Wednesday when it emerged that Wazhul Kamar Khan, who is also accused of involvement in a 2003 Mumbai train bombing, had already been released on bail.

India gave the list to Pakistan at the end of March when the home secretaries of the two countries met for talks.

India blames Pakistan-based militant groups, such as the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba for carrying out many of the attacks in India in recent years.

It also accuses Pakistan of providing sanctuary to former Mumbai underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Mr Ibrahim and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed are among those named on the most-wanted list.

BPL Census Set To Begin Next Month

Starting next month, the Centre will embark on a massive socio-economic profiling exercise that will not only identify the poor in the country but also the caste and religion of all citizens to ensure precise and effective dispensation of government schemes and projects.

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the proposals of the ministries of Rural Development and Home, after a lengthy discussion in which some members questioned the parameters framed to segregate those from the BPL category.

Some members felt owning a two-wheeler, for instance, should not be considered an exclusion parameter given that a sizeable rural population did own two-wheelers.

 

Another member said pucca houses should be excluded for hilly regions as this was the norm in such areas.

The enumeration on caste and religion has been clubbed together and enumerators, for the first time, will use low-cost devices that looks like an IPAD to feed information that will subsequently be downloaded to a main computer.

IPL 4: Will DADA Have The Last Laugh Against KKR Today ?

In Mumbai Today will be one of the biggest days in Sourav Ganguly's accomplished career. He has the chance to extract revenge for the snub in this year’s IPL auction and Shah Rukh Khan’s Knight Riders led by Gautam Gambhir better watch out.

Ganguly, who now plays for the Pune Warriors, would do everything to ensure the Kolkata Knight Riders are out of contention for the IPL 4 playoffs when the two teams clash at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday.

Will The Erstwhile Knight Rider Be Kolkata’s Nemesis ?

While Pune are already out of the tournament, their performance on Thursday might turn the tide in favour or against KKR.

KKR former skipper Ganguly has had an extremely debatable comeback in the tournament for a Pune Warriors, and Thursday’s clash will be crucial for Dada as he would like to avenge the humiliation at the hands of his previous franchise during the IPL auction.

Ganguly’s late recruitment hardly has had any impact on the IPL, but come Thursday all that might change. He has the chance to make sure that Kolkata Knight Riders don’t make it to the last four for the fourth straight time.

It would be the perfect revenge for Ganguly if he manages to stun Kolkata with his blade, and put them in a tight spot in the race for the last four.

Race To Last Four Heats Up

Adam Gilchrist’s hurricane-like show against table toppers Royal Challengers Bangalore has widened the scope of permutation and combination over who makes to playoff in the IPL 4.

While Royal Challengers Bangalore have assured their playoffs/semifinal berth, Chennai with a terrific run-rate need to win just one out of the two games to advance to the next stage.

Similar is the case for hot favorites Mumbai Indians whose victory in any of the remaining two matches will see them through. However, if they lose both the games then their low run-rate might work against them and deny a spot in the last four.

Though it is almost certain that Mumbai Indians and defending Champions Chennai Super Kings will advance to the next round, mystery over the fourth team for the playoffs has deepened further after KXIP’s stunning victory over RCB on Tuesday.

And the biggest tussle remains between KXIP and Kolkata Knight Riders. Gautam Gambhir’s KKR have 14 points, the same as Punjab but with two games in hand they need to win both to avoid a run-rate clash.

Punjab, on the other hand must win their next game against Deccan Chargers and hope that KKR lose at least one game or Mumbai lose both games to sail through.

SBI Q4 PAT Dips On Higher Provisions

India's largest lender State Bank of India's fourth quarter net profit tumbled nearly 99% year-on-year to Rs 21 crore on higher provisioning against non-performing assets. This is much below the street expectations.

According to CNBC-TV18's estimates, PAT was seen up 59% at Rs 2963 crore versus Rs 1866 crore year-on-year. The January-March quarter NII was  estimated at Rs 9176 crore.

Following the worse-than-expected results, shares of SBI plunged more than 6% to Rs 2,454 on the NSE as investors chose to dump the stock.

The bank's January-March quarter net interest income was down 36% year-on-year to Rs 8058 crore. Out of total provision, the bank has earmarked Rs 3264 crore for NPAs as against Rs 2187.

The company's provision for NPAs was up 49% at Rs 3,264 crore versus Rs 2,187 crore, YoY. Its gross NPA at 3.28% versus 3.05%, YoY. Its net NPA was at 1.63% versus 1.72%.

The fall in the share price, according to analysts, may be a short term reaction. The banks balance sheet is now cleaned up. Long term outcome will be healthy for the bank.

Equity Mean ???

• A stock or any other security representing an ownership interest.

• On a company's balance sheet, the amount of the funds contributed by the owners (the stockholders) plus the retained earnings (or losses). Also referred to as "Share-Holders - Equity".

• In the context of margin trading, the value of securities in a margin account minus what has been borrowed from the brokerage.

• In the context of real estate, the difference between the current market value of the property and the amount the owner still owes on the mortgage. It is the amount that the owner would receive after selling a property and paying off the mortgage.

• In terms of investment strategies, equity Stocks is one of the principal asset classes. The other two are fixed-income and Cash / Cash Equivalents. These are used in asset allocation planning to structure a desired risk and return profile for an investor's portfolio.

Sony Starts Restoring Play-Station Network Services

ON-AND-OFF Again gaming firm Sony has begun restoring its Play station Network online gaming services just short of a month after a hack forced them off line.

The firm started restoring services this weekend and began turning on big switches in the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.

On 14 May Patrick Seybold, the communications chap at Sony thanked users for their patience and encouragement, though where he saw any such words is a mystery to us, and added that users could update their firmware and change their passwords.

On the same day Kazuo Hirai, Sony Corporation executive deputy president said that the firm had been working around the clock to get services online and talked up what is apparently one of the most significant changes to Sony's online security - a forced user password change.

Hirai added that Sony, with the help of some third parties, thankfully, had carried out an "an intensive investigation" into the firm's systems and had added encryption, firewalls and an early warning detection system. He added, "Greater protection for information is our top priority."

The forced password change has apparently caused some problems, and Sony took to Twitter to announce that it is postponing that feature for a short while to catch up with requests.

It said, "We're experiencing a heavy load," before adding, "If you've requested your password reset, it's taking time to clear all of the ISPs, so please give it a bit of time to reach your email."

Sony expects to get its services back online by the end of May.

Recent Articles By - PARESH SHAH Movie Review of Love U Mr. Kalakaar Movie Review of Ragini MMS Movie Review of Haunted 3D Movie Review of Stanley Ka Dabba Movie Review of Luv Ka The End

Movie Review of Love U Mr. Kalakaar

Director : S. Manasvi

Music : Sandesh Shandilya

Lyrics : Manoj "Muntashir"

Starring : Tusshar Kapoor, Amrita Rao, Ram Kapoor, Madhoo, Prem Chopra, Jai Kalra and Kiran Kumar.

A Rajshri film means plentiful songs, enough family drama, utopian world of family values, well-brought up bahu-betis, marriage ceremonies, etc. However, their latest venture LOVE U MR. KALAKAAR is minus the above mentioned factors.

For the first time we come across a Rajshri film which is not confined to a family drama, rather goes beyond it. As the love story is setup in the backdrop of corporate world. Nevertheless you won't miss the quintessential Rajshri's style the sweet mannerisms, saccharine characters and rich emotions, simplicity, affirmative attitude, etc.

The film depicts an artist's struggle to win his ladylove. Tushar Kapoor As Sahil is a Down To Earth, Oh-So honest, Gullible, Simple Living, Hand-To-Mouth earning Cartoonist Artist who lives in a bubble, refusing to seriously confront any real worries, expectations and burdens in his life.

On the other hand; Amrita Rao As Ritu - A management trainee belonging to an affluent family is Smart, Feisty and Loving, whose world revolves around debits, credits, turnovers, profits, deadlines.

Like true lovers, Ritu and Sahil take on the Agni Pariksha. But will Sahil be able to adapt to the heartless corporate world for his lady love is what follows. The pace of the film appears too slow in the first hour almost testing the audience's patience. It's post the intermission the narrative truly picks up & saves the dull first half and makes the fare exciting enough.

The entire office drama is nicely done. Also, when Ritu teaches management and business fundas to her lover Sahil in her arty language is quite inspiring and interesting.

There are enough weak points in this outdated script and certain characters in the film are also not developed as they were introduced in the film, like that of general manager Manohar Awasthi, who aspires to be a Managing Director and Ritu's childhood friend Aman Malhotra.

S. Manasvi's direction is as bland as his script. The film has no highs or lows, moving at one level throughout. Thankfully, the film isn't loaded with copious songs like other Rajshri films. The music is dull and songs also create no impact. However the dialogues are impressive at certain points.

This Kalakaar is ordinary and has nothing much to paint !!!

Recent Articles By - PARESH SHAH Movie Review of Ragini MMS Movie Review of Haunted 3D Movie Review of Stanley Ka Dabba Movie Review of Luv Ka The End Horror Scores More Over Romance In This Week At Box Office

Movie Review of Ragini MMS

Director : Pawan Kripalani

Music : S D Burman, Shamir Tandon, Faizan Hussain, Agnel Boman and Bappi Lahiri

Lyrics : Majrooh Sultanpuri, Virag Mishra, Faizan Hussain, Agnel Boman and Indeevar

Starring : Raj Kumar Yadav and Kainaz Motivala

The title "RAGINI MMS" was more than enough to grab your attention. It gave an impression that the film was based on an MMS scandal. Then, the promos made it clear that there was a paranormal element attached to the film as well. So is it a good blend of Sex and Horror ? Let's find out.

The story first is UDAY sets out for a Romantic weekend with his girl-friend RAGINI at a friend's farmhouse on the outskirts of Mumbai.

There are cameras set up in the entire farmhouse and Raj is on a mission to shoot a sex tape with Ragini, without her knowledge. But everything doesn't go according plan as they first have to put up with some unwanted friends and then a spirit.

The details about the spirit's past are avoided and we get to know about her only through her rumblings. "I am not a witch, I didn't kill my children," she squeals in Marathi.

Coming from the makers of LOVE SEX AUR DHOKA and inspired by PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, director Pawan Kriplani's RAGINI MMS is a noble attempt. But it falls short when it comes to execution. The combination of comedy, sex and horror doesn't quite add up to an entertaining output.

The first half is slow with zilch movement in the story. There's an eerie scene in which a plastic bag is seen moving while Uday and Ragini are making out. Uday's comic antics manage to make you laugh. But you are left asking for more.

The narrative improves significantly in the second half with some engaging sequences. The climax, in particular manages to keep you hooked. But you wish there were a lot more scary sequences.

Pawan relies primarily on sound effects rather than visual horror to scare you. But the sound effects shock you instead of scaring you.

Also, the clich of spirits being incompetent during the day is not avoided here. And it's baffling to know that spirits can't pass through closed doors.

Tribhuvan Babu's cinematography, which involves many scenes through hand-held cameras, is good. Faizan-Agnel's background music is loud but effective. Pooja Ladha Surti's editing is tight. Raj Kumar Yadav plays his role with great poise and confidence. Note the scenes in which he is possessed. Kainaz Motiwala acts well as the gullible Girlfriend.

They share an electrifying chemistry. RAGINI MMS isn't worth "Circulating", if you have a large appetite for horror.

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